Corn sheller having flow-retarding barrier



March 8, 1960 M. FIARMS CORN SHELLER HAVING FLOW-RETARDING BARRIER Filed Oct. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. N/A 0 F ARM 5 BY 694041 vJu'W/ZCZ T TO IPA/Eys March 8, 1960 M. F. ARMS 2,927,537

CORN SHELLER HAVING FLOW-RETARDING BARRIER Filed Oct. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. M/LO ARMS.

0% (w/MA A TTORAIEYS- CORN SHELLER HAVING FLOW-RETARDING BARRIER Milo F. Arms, Parma, Ohio, assignor to The C. 0. Bartlett & Snow Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 4, 1955, Serial No. 538,458

4 Claims. (Cl. 130--6) tion of the shelled corn from the cobs and husks in the same machine.

A very successful sheller of this order is disclosed in the pending patent application of Edward P. McCreery, Serial No. 381,558, filed September 22, 1953, now Patent No. 2,754,827, dated July 17, 1956, and it is with reference to this prior construction that an illustrative embodiment of the present invention will be set forth. Such prior sheller, owing to its novel structure and resulting new and improved shelling action, functions to shell most of the ear corn in approximately the first half of the assembly, which comprises an outer cylindrical jacket and a rotatable inner shelling cylinder. In the sense of the actions produced, roughly the first half of the unit may thus be regarded as a shelling section and the latter half as a separating section, the combined result being substantially complete extraction of the kernel corn.

The sheller, like most apparatus and particularly of this class, performs with best efiiciency when operated at or near its intended capacity. I have found that the incorporation in the same of means having a certain modifying effect on the flow of the material from the intake to the discharge end will provide a more uniform flow which carries over in instances of light and/or irregular feeding. In effect, the range of optimum operating conditions is thereby broadened.

Briefly, such fiow modification of the invention is in the nature of a retarding effect, which not only affords the noted uniformity, but has the additional advantages of ensuring more complete shelling in the first portion of the apparatus. permitting the use of a large cob discharge opening, and affording higher negative pressures at the inlet to the cob and shuck fan, preferably used for removal of such waste.

The specific structure whereby these ends are accomplished also assists in tearing the shuck and thus preventing roping of the same between the two cylinders. The improvements are advantageous not only in the handling of clean cob corn, but also in the handling cob corn which has not been shucked; Northern corn growers usually husk their cob corn while Southern growers do not. Accordingly, my sheller construction is more universal in its ability to shell both Northern and Southern grown corn.

Other objects and advantages will become .apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed draw .ings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments ,of theinvention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed. s

ice

In said annexed drawings: 7 Fig. 1' is a longitudinal sectional view of the main portion of a corn sheller inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2' is avertical section as viewed from the plane of line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the discharge or left-hand end of the apparatus in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, theseillustrate a sheller of the basic construction disclosed in the aforesaid McCreery application and modified by' the incorporation of the improvements constituting this invention. The basic assembly comprises a support frame designed generally by reference numeral 10, made up of structural members and including end frames lland 12,-'

' respectively. Supported 'on the end frame 11 is a first pillow block 13 within which a bearing 14 is disposed and a second pillow block 15 and associated bearing [6 are supported by the other end frame 12.

A main shaft 17 adapted to be connected to a suitable drive source, not shown, is journalled in the bearings and held horizontally thereby. Secured to the shaft at intervals are circular hub members 18 which support cylindrical plates together making up an inner shelling cylinder indicated generally at 19 having a short feed section 20 and a longer section 21 in the main area of the sheller. The plates are held firmly on the hub members by outer peripheral clamps 22.

Disposed completely around the inner cylinder section 21 is an outer cylinder '23 formed with radial perforations 24 over its entire circumferential and longitudinal extent. Such outer cylinder is spaced considerably from the inner cylinder and defines therewith an annular space for flow of the material through the sheller. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the outer cylinder is constituted of three curved sections suitably joined together, for example by welding.

A feed hopper 25, comprising end Wall 26 of the sheller attached to the end frame 11, an intermediate wall 27 spaced inwardly a relatively short distance from suchend wall, and a perforated and curved bottom plate 28, surrounds the short feed section 20 of the inner cylinder. It is here, of course, that the ear corn is fed to the sheller, the intermediate wall 27 extending only externally about the top of the unit as illustrated to provide for passage of the corn from the hopper region to the main sheller area. The latter is partially enclosed about its upper longitudinal half by an outwardly spaced semi-cylindrical hood or cover 29 which is formed of complemental sec- 7 tions and extends between the hopper wall 27 and an end wall 30 at the other end of the apparatus. Cylinder 23 is supported from the cover by means of a longitudinal beam 31 interengaging the two at the top of the structure.

End wall 30, at the discharge end of the sheller, is provided in its lower portion with a discharge opening 32 for cobs and shucks which is normally closed by a hinged door 33'. By means of a chain 34 hooked about a pin on the end frame 12 and fastened to the door, the normal opening of the latter may be adjusted in an obvious manner and thus the rate of discharge of the waste material varied. Arranged respectively at the sides of the sheller and in the lower half of the same are two inwardly directed and spaced apart deflector plates 35, the space between the lower edges thereof constituting an opening through which the shelled corn passes from the machine.

The inner or shelling cylinder is provided with radially projecting teeth in a first series of short teeth 36 and a second series of relatively long teeth 37. The latter are fewer in number and while both series are helically Patented Mar. 8, 1960 arranged, the pitch of the of the short teeth. In addition, a small number of much larger lugs 38 also extend radially outwardly from the shelling cylinder.

In the operation of the apparatusthus far described, the car com is supplied to the feed hopper and advanced through the sheller by rotation of the inner cylinder and its helical teeth. As set forth in considerable detail. in application Serial No. 381,558, the radial extent of the annular space betweent'ne'inner and outer cylinders and the projection of the inner cylinder teeth into the same, have a definite relationship to the size of the ear corn, whereby a different and extremely efiicient shellingaction obtains. Briefly, the width. of. the annular space is such to accommodate two layers-of axially extending, ear, corn, andthe teeth project into such mass; only a comparatively. short distance, the teeth serving principally as movers for the mass and the shelling being accomplished primarily by rubbing of the ears againstone another. The operation is further enhanced. by causing; the mass tobe; rotated at centrifuging speed and the fact that the outer cylinder is perforated over its entire extent, whereby the grain corn is expelled over the complete area of the sheller.

As a result of this improved action, the major portion of the actual shelling takes place inv approximately the first half of the machine, thereby leaving the remainder more etficiently to perform the desiredseparation of the grain from the mass of cobs and husks. Approximately midway between the ends of the outer cylinder 23, and thus generally coincident with such functional division into shelling and separating sections, I provide two curved bars 39 fitted snugly against the inner surface of the outer cylinder. Each such bar in the construction illustrated extends over approximately one-third of the circumference of the outer cylinder, and the two are abutted endto-end and arranged symmetrically about the top center of the cylinder. The bars are attached thereto by bolts 40 or by any other suitable fastening members or expedients.

Each bar 39 is provided with a series of spaced radial teeth 41, and the barsare offset slightly in their attachment to the cylinder 23 as shown in Fig. 1, so that they follow a generally helical path from one end ofthe combined row to the other. The bars thus form a discontinuous barrier in the annular flow space between the inner and outer cylinders and in fixed relation to the moving mass of material. It is to be noted that the barrier is not only itself discontinuous but does not extend com: pletely around the flow space, the lower third of the same being free of any such structure. As illustrated, the teeth 41 of each bar are spaced an appreciable distance apart and extend inwardly only a relatively short distance as compared to the annular space between the inner and outer cylinders. The first dimension is such to permit cobs to pass endwise between the teeth, while the latter permits such passage between the ends of these fixed teeth and the inner shelling cylinder.

To illustrate more specifically, by way of example, these and the other dimensional relationships mentioned, the diameter of ear corn is first of all usually about 2 to 2 /2 inches. In. an annularflow space of roughly inches, the short teeth of the inner cylinder would project about 4 inch and the long teeth about 1 /2 inches. The stationary teeth in this arrangement would be approximately 1 /2 inches long and spaced about 3 inches apart at their root or secured ends. Due to variation in car corn size and the reduction of diameter as the result of kernal removal, the stationary teeth may extend as much as two-thirds of the distance to the rotor, butpreferably should not project any further than this.

Accordingly, it will be clear that the flow of the material past the fixed teeth is retarded, but not seriously impeded. That is, there is not such limited passage or confinement of the space as to preclude high rates of longlteeth 'is greater than that flow, but, he. etardatiaa. e fe t s. ho significant and provides for a more uniform flow. Field tests have demonstrated this fact and the resultant advantages noted at the outset of the specification.

Moreover, the teeth 41 serve to assist in the shucking action, to the extent thataunshucked corn may be handled efliciently in the machine. The removed particles of shuck in either case are torn -or fragmented by the teeth and thus congestion which might otherwise occur is eliminated; Asdisclosed in application Serial No. 381,- 55,8,v the complete apparatus also includes acob discharge fan having an inlet connected to the discharge door of. the. cylinder, and. it will be understood that the same is also employed with the unit discussed. Likewise, the improvements with regard to cleaning of the shelled corn disclosed in the pending joint application of Edward P. McCreery and the present inventor, Serial No; 493,697, filed March 11, 1955, now Patent No. 2,849,004, may also be incorporated.

Various. modifications in the structurespecifically described'will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without, however, departing from the basic idea of the invention. For example, the circumferential extent, the number and, the spacing of the teeth may be modified, and morethan one row might be employed, if desired. While the row discussed is arranged to conform generally to a portion of ahelix, thereby to follow the general path of movementof the'material, the bars could be disposed. substantially at right angles to the axis of the sheller. Likewise the concept of utilizing a barrier of the nature set forth to serve the multiple functions indicated has application to. corn shelling apparatus of the general character or classof such machines represented by. the one illustrated, rather than. being limited to the latter.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of thefollowing claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1 In corn sheller construction, an outer cylinder having perforations for discharge of shelled corn there through and a substantially smooth inner surface, a tooth-bearing inner cylinder mounted for rotation coaxially within said outer cylinder, the outside diameter of said inner cylinder exclusive of the teeth thereon being lessv than, the inside diameter of the. outer cylinder by an amount, sufiicient to. provide an annular, space between the two for longitudinal advance of the corn therethrough, a feed hopper communicating with .one end of suchannular space, a discharge passage at the other end, discontinuous flow-retarding barrier means secured to the inner surface of the outer cylinder at a predetermined distance from the feed end, said barrier means being generally transverse in such annular space and extending at least about half-way therearound, the inward projection of the barrier means from the outer cylinder being of such extent as; topermit the passage of cobs between thev inner end of the same and the inner rotatable cylinder, with. the discontinuities of the barrier means defining plural openings. spaced along the length thereof of such size as to pass cob fragments therethrough, and drive means for rotating said inner cylinder, the barrier means being effective to provide limited retardation of the longitudinal advance of the material insuch annular space to delay the transit time through the initial section of the h ls: and husv n re se the degree o h i accom' p ished in uch SQQ iO L,

" '2, The-construction set fo rth in claim 1 characterized further in that said barrier means is in the form of a multiplicity of teeth projecting generally radially inwardly from the outer cylinder.

3. The construction set forth in claim 1 characterized 5 further in that the radial distance between the inner and outer cylinders is about five inches and said barrier means is comprised of a multiplicity of teeth about one and one-half inches long.

4. The construction set forth in claim 1 characterized further in that the inward projection of said barrier means from the outer cylinder is not more than twothirds of the radial distance between the inner and outer cylinders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 653,874 Morris July 17, 1900 6 Gotshall Oct. 26, 1909 Lizamore July 15, 1930 Mast Feb. 3, 1942 Mast Feb. 3, 1942 McCreery July 17, 1956 Haban May 6, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1894 

